Our founder, Walt Disney, left us with an amazing legacy of making dreams come true, not only for our guests in our parks but also for those who live in our community. One of his most meaningful contributions was supporting the development of CHOC Children’s Hospital in the early 1960s, and it is with tremendous pride that we continue our support for CHOC more than five decades later. As the new president of the Disneyland Resort and a new CHOC board member, I’m looking forward to participating in my first CHOC Walk in the Park and welcoming thousands of walkers, cast members and volunteers to the Disneyland Resort on October 13.

To date, this event has raised more than $21 million, funding health care programs, education and research projects that bring comfort and new hope to families throughout Southern California. If you haven’t participated with us before, and you’re going to be in the neighborhood in mid-October, sign up and walk with us. Just imagine the sight of so many people walking the entire Disneyland Resort (both parks and the Downtown Disney District) for such a great cause. Of course, we’ll add some special Disney touches along the route that will make the event even more fun.

Registration for this year’s CHOC Walk in the Park is open and teams have already begun to form. There is more information at www.chocwalk.org. Thanks for your support – and see you there!

With Disney “Planes” flying into theaters on August 9, new themed merchandise has recently landed in select merchandise shops at Disney Parks. I recently visited Once Upon a Toy and World of Disney at Downtown Disney Marketplace to check out the new arrivals.

Like previous film releases such as Disney•Pixar’s “Brave” or Disney’s “Wreck-It Ralph,” the new merchandise is a combination of items from the national market (that is things you can find at your local Disney Store or online) and some unique development by Disney Theme Park Merchandise.

One of those unique items is the antenna topper shown above that resembles Dusty Crophopper. The souvenirs team told me this was one of the first times they included a propeller that actually spins on an antenna topper.

Another item created especially for Disney Parks is a four-pin set with characters from the animated feature.

My inner child really would love playing with all of the new toys. I recall countless hours playing with die-cast cars and planes as a child. Fortunately, I have a son who is still at that playful age, and I’m sure he will want one of everything.

Finally, there are new shirts and hats featuring characters and logos from the film.

The votes are in! Disney Parks Blog fans chose “Mosi” (which means “first”) as the name for the first Masai giraffe calf born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Our animal care team is thrilled that so many people voted to help choose his name. Other choices that received a lot of votes were “Baraka” (which means “blessing”) and “Shingo” (which means “long neck”), but ultimately “Mosi” was the winner. Thank you so much for caring as much about the baby giraffe as we do!

I have some more great news – yesterday, Mosi ventured out with his mom on the Kilimanjaro Safaris savanna for the first time. We are very pleased to share a photo and some video of Mosi’s first day on the savanna. Enjoy!

The next time you visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom, be on the lookout for Mosi and the rest of the giraffe herd on Kilimanjaro Safaris and Wild Africa Trek.

One of the most notable icons at Disney California Adventure park is the 110-foot Grizzly Peak. Many guests are familiar with Grizzly River Run, the white-water rafting adventure at the mountain’s base, but today I want to share with you a little bit of the magic behind the peak itself. The history of Grizzly Peak is a combination of lore and, of course, Disney imagination.

According to Walt Disney Imagineering, no one is quite sure when the first people arrived at Grizzly Peak; however, petroglyphs and rock paintings throughout the area suggest that these people believed that all living creatures were kin to humankind. It didn’t matter if you were four-legged or two-legged, everyone walked as brothers to teach each other lessons and offer guidance on their journeys. There was one animal that they held in particular esteem: the grizzly bear. These early people believed that the territory all around them reflected the bear’s personality – the mighty granite peaks, the tall, proud trees and the roaring waterfalls.

According to legend, long ago a coyote met a grizzly bear on top of the mountain. Because the grizzly was such a powerful creature, the coyote asked him to watch over and protect the land. One day, people came upon the mountain and tried to chase the grizzly bear down. Despite this charge, the bear held his ground. When the coyote saw that the bear was alone against the surrounding people, he turned the grizzly into stone so he could never be driven away. To this day, people claim they can hear the bear’s spirit in the wind when traveling through the caverns of Grizzly Peak.

Have you seen any of the rock paintings or perhaps heard the grizzly bear’s spirit while white-water rafting down Grizzly River Run?

As you can see, Dr. Nigel Channing has a lot of responsibility. He is: Chairman; Principal Scientist; Director of Operations; Head of Laboratories; and ____ . Do you remember what the final title, blurred here, was? If so, leave it in the “Comments” section below. We’ll update the post later today with the answer.

Last Saturday morning, Disney’s Vero Beach Resort guests connected with nature in a way that few people get to experience when they cheered on two giant, loggerhead sea turtles named for Disney characters – who had laid their eggs on the beach the night before – as they returned to the sea. The turtles were fitted with satellite transmitters and released near the resort as part of the Sea Turtle Conservancy’s annual “Tour de Turtles,” which follows the marathon migration of 11 sea turtles from their nesting beaches to their foraging grounds.

Each turtle in Tour de Turtles acts as an ambassador to raise awareness about a specific threat to sea turtles. Carrie is raising awareness about the threat of light pollution on the beach. Since sea turtle hatchlings rely on moonlight to find their way to the ocean, many become disoriented and drawn off-course by artificial light sources. We can help by turning off unnecessary lights that may be visible on nesting beaches. Claire is raising awareness about the threat of plastic debris. Many turtles have been killed by swallowing or becoming entangled in plastic debris, including plastic bags and fishing lines. We can help by recycling and putting trash in appropriate containers.

Researchers from Disney’s Animal Programs and the Sea Turtle Conservancy will track the sea turtles using satellite telemetry as they travel from their nesting beach to various feeding grounds. Using this technology, scientists learn about sea turtles’ habits at sea and the different migratory patterns of each species. This knowledge helps researchers, conservationists and governing agencies make more informed decisions about sea turtle conservation actions and policies. People worldwide can view the sea turtles’ progress online at www.tourdeturtles.org. Lightning McQueen, a sea turtle sponsored by Disney from the 2011 Tour de Turtles, returned again this year to the beach near Disney’s Vero Beach Resort to nest, and her eggs hatched just a few weeks ago with the baby turtles heading out to sea.

Of the nearly than $20 million that the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund (DWCF) has distributed since the fund’s inception, more than $1 million has helped support sea turtle conservation around the world. Guests visiting Disney’s Vero Beach Resort, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and The Seas with Nemo & Friends at Epcot can adopt the nest of one of the sea turtles that lays her eggs at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort, including Carrie’s and Claire’s. The adoption fee is directed through the DWCF to sea turtle conservation efforts in Florida.

The team at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and The Seas with Nemo & Friends celebrate and conserve turtles and tortoises every day. Over the years, for example, the Disney’s Animal Programs team has nursed more than 300 endangered sea turtles back to health and released them back to their home in the sea.

At Disney’s Vero Beach Resort, the Disney’s Animal Programs team monitors sea turtle nesting activity on several miles of beach near the resort, and examines what factors contribute to successful hatching of the sea turtle nests. Resort guests can get involved too. For example, kids can join Turtle Troop, a fun and educational experience that combines crafts and a walk on the beach to see a sea turtle nest up close.

You don’t have to go to the beach to watch volleyball played on the sand. This week, the western end of the Downtown Disney District, by AMC Theaters and Earl of Sandwich, is transformed into a championship-size sand volleyball court for Downtown Disney Summer Celebration − Sand Volleyball Tournament and Pro Exhibition, Tuesday through Sunday, July 30 through August 4.

The celebration begins with Disneyland Resort cast members participating in their own Cast Member Tournament, Tuesday through Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m.

On Friday and Saturday, teams from VolleyOC will play their tournament final championship games on the Downtown Disney sand. And on Sunday, athletes from the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP), including Ed Ratledge, Pedro Brazao, Mark Williams and Matt Olson, will appear for autograph signing and pro exhibition. Also appearing will be Rich Lambourne, who helped the USA Olympic volleyball team win a gold medal in 2008.

The Summer Celebration also will include presentations about safety in the sun and water by volleyball and aquatics champions, followed by meet-and-greets with fans.

When you book through September 5, you can save up to 20 percent Sunday through Thursday nights at any of the three hotels for visits from August 25 through September 28. You’ll find more details here.

Savings based on the non-discounted price for the same room at the same hotel on most Sunday through Thursday nights between August 25, 2013, and September 28, 2013, when booked from July 30, 2013, through September 5, 2013. Travel must be completed by September 29, 2013. Offer is not valid on suites or with previously booked rooms. Excludes applicable taxes and fees. Advance reservations required. Check for offers on different lengths of stay. Subject to availability as the number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. Limit two (2) rooms per reservation and five (5) people maximum per room. Not valid in combination with any other hotel discounts or offers. Subject to restrictions and change without notice. Separate Theme Park admission required to enjoy the parks.

I love the music of Disney Parks! My first encounter with Disney Parks music was the 33 ½ long playing record featuring the music of EPCOT Center that I got after my first trip in July 1983. I think the music of EPCOT Center is some of the most beautiful theme park music ever recorded (fingers crossed for a complete boxed set one day). My obsession (let’s call it what it is) with Disney Parks music only increased in subsequent years after that first trip. During family visits in the early 1990s, I would place my gigantic video camera next to speakers in the Parks just to record the wonderful sounds.

With all this talk of music from the Parks, I’m happy to announce that the 2013 Official Albums will be coming to Disney Parks on August 20. These two CD sets contain music from Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts. They will be released at multiple Disney Parks merchandise locations in California and Florida. You will also be able to find them as digital downloads at the Disney Music Store. Look for Disney Gift Cards for the music store in select merchandise locations.

A few minutes before a performance of “Mickey and the Magical Map” at Disneyland park last week, the star of the show got a special visit from another well-known star, Academy Award-winning actress, Halle Berry.

These two pals could’ve spent the whole afternoon catching up, but it was showtime before too long, so a quick kiss for good luck, and then “on with the show!”

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